Regulations

Back in January, the new year looked to be a big and busy one for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, both in terms of the number of items on the regulatory agenda and in their significance to the trucking industry. That hasn’t changed, though the agency continues to extend the timeline on several critical rulemakings. Complicating matters, the new Congress has had some ideas of its own about what’s best for trucking, with several such bills introduced along the way.

In comments filed recently, the American Trucking Assns. urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to do more to improve its Compliance, Safety, Accountability carrier monitoring system.
“ATA is grateful that FMCSA has been receptive to the industry’s request that CSA better account for accident exposure and to compare carriers with similar operations. We are disappointed, though, that the agency is still proposing only minor changes to CSA,” said ATA president and CEO Bill Graves....More

The Senate met in a rare Sunday session to move along the chamber’s multiyear highway bill, but the debate was dominated by Republican squabbling and amendments unrelated to transportation. The upshot is the current federal funding plan expires July 31, and even if the Senate can pass it plan the legislation will be at odds with the short-term extension the House passed July 15....More

Should 18-year-olds be permitted to drive in interstate commerce? A somewhat technical and voluntary clause in the 1,000-page highway bill set for debate in the Senate has caught the eye of the trucking industry (generally supportive) and highway safety groups (strongly opposed)....More